Do it Best points to three major strategic initiatives

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Indianapolis -- Do it Best Corp. CEO Bob Taylor presented three major co-op initiatives -- including an aggressiverecruitment strategy -- to members assembled here for the 2011 Do it Best May Market at the Indiana Convention Center.

The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based co-op has created a new Do it Best Advantage Program designed to attract new members in the United States and internationally. It's offering certain converts a "performance satisfaction guarantee." And thirdly, the co-op is beginning the process of redesigning its e-commerce and online ordering tools into what it calls a "World Class Commerce Center."

The Advantage Member recruitment program will be led by Gary Hoffman, supported by a newly created staff of five.

Related to the recruitment efforts, the company's field staff is getting a name change. Instead of "Retail development specialists," they are taking the title "sales and business development specialists." The change better reflects the diverse businesses in the Do it Best fold -- from hardware retailers to pro lumberyards to industrial and commercial distributors, Taylor said.

The co-op's Performance Satisfaction Guarantee applies to new converts. Here's how it works: If during the first three years of conversion from their former co-op, the premier member wants to go back to their former co-op, Do it Best will help with the conversion and pay out 10% of their average annual warehouse purchase.

"We want to make sure they understand that we're serious about this, and that we're going to put our money behind the promise," Taylor told Home Channel News. He added that he doesn't expect to pay out.

On the e-commerce front, Taylor said Marty Baily will lead the initiative to bring the co-op's four sites -- doitbest.com, mydoitbest.com, channellockproducts.com and the company's industrial-commercial website -- into a more efficient sales catalog and online merchandising tool.